[Case analysis of telephone interview application effect in Beijing]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a significant public health challenge.
• Effective control and prevention strategies require accurate population-level data.
• Evaluating NCD interventions necessitates robust data collection methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) for evaluating NCD control and prevention in the general population.
• To identify challenges and areas for improvement in CATI implementation for public health surveys.

Main Methods:

• A CATI survey was conducted with 2450 residents aged 15-69 in Beijing.
• Simple random sampling was employed for telephone number selection.
• Focus group interviews with telephone interviewers were used to explore reasons for mid-survey refusal.

Main Results:

• The survey achieved a high successful completion rate (75.1%).
• However, survey efficiency (3.8%) and response rate (26.2%) were notably low.
• Key factors for low efficiency and response rates included unanswered calls, busy signals, and initial refusals.

Conclusions:

• CATI is a viable method for NCD surveys, evidenced by the high completion rate.
• Significant improvements are needed in survey efficiency and response rates.
• Strategies to minimize unanswered calls, busy signals, and initial refusals are crucial for enhancing CATI effectiveness.